I have an idea for those of you with numerous birds or sanctuaries. Do you remember or have the old wooden clothes airers that you used to dry clothes in front of the fire ?I was just thinking they would make great parrot gyms with toys etc hanging from them. Unfortunately I don't know which wood was used to make them. However, a copy could be made today. Seeing as they came in ladder and concertina designs , they seem like an idea to play around with and they had a good height.What do you think ? Hmm maybe I should patent this Pan racks hanging from the ceiling is something else that you can have fun converting to a parrot toy.

Yes, it is a great idea! I use anything that can be used: old Christmas trees, wooden bar stools (they make great perches when you turn them upside down), old wooden free-standing bookshelves, those wooden thingies that you can hang on the wall and have pegs for hanging coats, macramé plant hangers, etc.

Pajarita wrote:Yes, it is a great idea! I use anything that can be used: old Christmas trees, wooden bar stools (they make great perches when you turn them upside down), old wooden free-standing bookshelves, those wooden thingies that you can hang on the wall and have pegs for hanging coats, macramé plant hangers, etc.

I was born and raised in a third world country so I am naturally thrifty and have been 'recycling' my entire life. You should see the wonderful things they make back home with things that people would throw away here! I have the most wonderful candlesticks and jewelry made out of old silverware and my favorite shopping bag is a net one made out of old plastic twisted into yarn like threads that I got there in a flea market.

Pajarita wrote:I was born and raised in a third world country so I am naturally thrifty and have been 'recycling' my entire life. You should see the wonderful things they make back home with things that people would throw away here! I have the most wonderful candlesticks and jewelry made out of old silverware and my favorite shopping bag is a net one made out of old plastic twisted into yarn like threads that I got there in a flea market.

I would love to see those! I am always amused by people who boast about how much they have paid for an item , thinking others will be impressed. More fool you I say, stupid idiots . I made a dolls house which people offer me a lot of money for. I made it from things I had and bits and pieces donated by neighbours because once they had seen it progressing everyone wanted to be involved . I had such fun doing it and hope to pass it down the family.

I bet you like charity shops too. I get all my reading books from charity shops and baby toys for the parrots. I even got a really nice suit and hat from an upmarket charity shop in Sandbach to go to a wedding in.

Loriusgarrulus wrote:I bet you like charity shops too. I get all my reading books from charity shops and baby toys for the parrots. I even got a really nice suit and hat from an upmarket charity shop in Sandbach to go to a wedding in.

I also buy baby toys from charity shops . The shops now though are so expensive, do you find that?

They vary alot depending on the charity and location.The one in Sandbach tends to be quite cheap for designer clothes for special occasions.There are a few more around the corners from there that stock more run of the mill stuff and they are cheap compared to new prices for most stuff.If you want basic T shirts, trousers and suchlike Tesco and Asda and Home Bargains tend to be cheaper.

There is always eBay too. Just got some nice leather hiking boots with good ankle support off eBay in immaculate condition at a 5th of what these are selling new. I don't hike anymore, but when it is icy or we go to the wood I find these are better for my feet.

I buy those too . There are some charity shops here that I won't go into on principal. If you take donations in they make you wait whilst they check the internet to see it's value. If it's not very valuable thry refuse it !. That's plain wrong to me.